State universities get tuition flexibility

HARRISBURG - The board that oversees Pennsylvania's state-owned universities Thursday gave the green light for experiments that could give individual campuses more flexibility in setting tuition and fees.

The State System of Higher Education board on Thursday approved two-year pilot projects at five of the 14 universities. Each project also requires approval from the individual universities.

"We are working to achieve a better balance between system-wide coordination and local decision making, which will allow each of our universities to leverage its own strengths to advance the institution and the entire system," said Chancellor Frank T. Brogan.

Six projects were approved at California, Clarion, Edinboro, East Stroudsburg and West Chester universities, system officials said.

Kutztown University, which draws students from New Jersey, is not included in the pilot project, spokesman Matt Santos said.

For several years, Santos said, Kutztown has offered reduced tuition to out-of-state students with high academic averages.

Edinboro is proposing to reduce tuition for out-of-state students to bolster recruitment.

California wants to reduce tuition for active members of the military, their spouses and dependents.

West Chester proposes a 10 percent tuition discount for students who take its courses at the system's location in Philadelphia.

Edinboro, Clarion and East Stroudsburg are seeking to establish new course- or program-specific fees to help offset the costs of their nursing programs.

Clarion also would establish a similar fee for its communication and speech disorder program.